


Try

by Baho



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Canon Compliant, Catra (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, Catra (She-Ra) Redemption, Catra (She-Ra)-centric, Catra is emo, Developing Friendships, F/F, Female Friendship, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Glimmer (She-Ra) needs a hug, Kinda, Mental Health Issues, POV Catra (She-Ra), She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) Season 5 Spoilers, Spoilers, Suicidal Thoughts, and so is the author
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:54:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24703372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baho/pseuds/Baho
Summary: Catra kept visiting the princess in her cell.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Catra & Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 72





	Try

**Author's Note:**

> To be honest I’m not satisfied with this but here it is anyway.  
> Thanks to my beta. You rock.

She came back. She didn’t know why. Maybe it was because she needed to remember that her situation could have been worse. At last, she wasn’t a prisoner. She was free to go wherever she wanted to. The problem was that she had nowhere to go.

The princess turned her eyes on her. They’re flaming with anger and pain. She should have enjoyed seeing one of these infuriating, self-righteous princesses in such a critical predicament, especially that one, but she didn’t. She couldn’t find it in herself anymore. Turned out, she failed at that as well.

The glare was followed by shouting. The tray of food flew to the ground of the cell, making a mess that the both of them ignored.

Fine. If her majesty wanted her to go away, she’d go away. She wouldn’t have come in the first place. One more entry on the list of her bad decision. The princess was doomed and so was Etheria. There was nothing they could do to stop Horde Prime. But Catra still had a chance to save herself. If there was one thing she was good at, it was surviving. Let the princess think what she wanted. What did she know anyway? What was with people thinking they knew her? They didn’t. No one did. The only person who ever did has left a long time ago. She turned to the door, ready to lift the last anchor that tied her down to her pathetic wreck of a life.

And then:

“Wait.”

Startled, Catra turned around without thinking. She hasn’t been expecting anything but anger and hatred from the princess and certainly not... whatever that was. A request? A plea? The princess had lost all her ire and her passion. The usually so self-confident and determined princess looked defeated, miserable, and overall, very, very young and scared. Catra could see the redness around her eyes and the terror she struggled to keep under control. She could see it and once again, she didn’t find anything when looking for some semblance of satisfaction in herself.

“Just a little?”

Added the princess in that same weak, juvenile voice.

Outside this cell, there was a gigantic ship full of empty corridors and clones that followed her with their lifeless eyes. And here, was princess Glimmer of Bright Moon. One of her fiercest enemies. The girl she lost her best friend to.

For the first time in a very long time, maybe the first time in her life, Catra decided to be honest with herself. The truth was that Double Trouble had been right. She was a mess. A lonely, stupid, prisoner of the most dangerous being in the universe mess.

And she was scared.

And she was exhausted.

And she felt as weak and young as Glimmer’s voice as sounded.

Glimmer was looking at her with a strange expression on her tired face. A mix of hopefulness and incredulity. Catra could relate to that.

Catra didn’t like the princess of Bright moon. In fact, she hated her. But she had been wrong when she had say that Catra was as alone as herself. The truth was that Catra was even lonelier. Outside, people were looking for Glimmer. She was loved and cared for. Catra wasn’t and she couldn’t blame anyone but herself.

So yes, she couldn’t stand the princess. But she was here. She was here and she was scared too and she had asked her to stay. She was solid when everything else felt twisted and surreal. She was warm and Catra felt so, so cold. And she was her last link with everything she ever knew, her last link with Adora.

Catra stayed.

———-

She came back once more. She wasn’t allowed to, but here she was. This time, the princess didn’t yell at her. She was confused but otherwise calm.

“Why are you here?”

“I’m borred.”

It was a lie and with that a bad one. But the princess didn’t tell her to leave.

This time they sat across the room and faced each other. And they talked. Catra hasn’t just talked with someone since Adora’s betrayal. She had spent her time giving orders, planning attacks and hating everything and everyone because it remained easier than facing the truth. Scorpia had tried to talk to her about stuff that weren’t related to the war. Kind, devoted, stupid Scorpia. She had tried so hard but Catra wouldn’t listen, wouldn’t let anyone approach her. And still, Scorpia had kept trying being her friend.

Until she understood that Catra was a lost cause and a bad friend. Catra missed her.

Obviously, they ended up talking about Adora. No matter what, everything always came back to Adora. Catra could try as hard as she wanted to forget Adora, she couldn’t escape her. On the field. In her memories. In her dreams. Adora was everywhere. And it hurt.

Talking about her friends brought back some life to the princess. She held her head higher and a sparkle of joy lightened her wistful gaze. A smile softened her face.

Catra could remember too. The training, the games, the nights spent side by side whispering meaningless secrets to each other, Adora trashing in her sleep; fighting some invisible opponents. Adora laughing, smiling, comforting her, promising they’d always stick together. Catra felt sick.

“And you? What would you do if you were on Etheria?”

The question was innocent. That was what made it so hurtful.

“Nothing. There’s nothing for me on Etheria.”

———-

The expression of utter horror on the princess’s face was insufferable. This look alone was reproachful enough but obviously, she had to open her damned mouth. Catra didn’t want to listen to her. She didn’t have to. She wasn’t one of her loyal subjects. She had no right to tell her what to do. And why couldn’t the princess understand that she didn’t have a choice anyway? That none of them had? This battle had been lost before it even had begun. Why should Catra sacrifice her chance at survival for a lost cause? Catra was a lot of things : lonely, bitter, a failure, but she wasn’t stupid.

But here was the princess of Bright Moon. Pressing, pleading, begging Catra as if she could be saved. It was so naive and dumb. No wonder why Adora loved this girl so much. No wonder why she has chosen her over Catra.

“Do one good thing in your life!”

Catra felt like she has been slapped. Suddenly, the urge to fly out of the cell was overwhelming.

She ran away.

——-

The thing was that she had nowhere to run away to. Everywhere, the cold eyes of Prime’s clones were tracking every single one of her moves. Everywhere, vivid memories of Adora haunted her. Adora and her playing together. Adora skipping dinner so she could stay with her. Adora promising again and again and again.

“Do one good thing in your life.”

The words echoed in the emptiness of the ship.

Catra wasn’t a good person. She honestly didn’t think there was anything salvageable in her. She was rotten, has always been. Even Shadow Weaver thought it and Shadow Weaver was no saint.

A younger version of Adora smiled at her through a window.

“Do one good thing in your life.”

Catra clenched her fists. The tips of her claws cut her skin.

She had nothing to lose. But she still could win a last battle.

——-

Catra took a last look at her best friend’s face. A wave of intricate emotions crushed her and Adora’s worried face blurred. Catra couldn’t break. Not this close to the end.

Glimmer would be safe but Catra had a last thing to do.

“I’m sorry. For everything.”

The connection flickered and shut down. Strong mechanical hand grabbed Catra and dragged her far from the console. But it was too late. Glimmer was gone. Prime would never lay hands on Adora. The rest didn’t matter.

Catra had won.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you a lot for reading.


End file.
